On July 3, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had settled charges that defendants Blue Global, an operator of dozens of consumer loan lead generation websites, and its founder and CEO, Christopher Kay, violated the FTC Act. The FTC alleges that the defendants had, among other practices, misled consumers about Blue Global’s data security practices and shared information characterized by the FTC as consumers’ “sensitive personal information” with a variety of potential bidders after promising to disclose such information only to “trusted lending partners” meeting specified criteria. As part of the settlement, the defendants are subject to a judgment for more than $104 million,1 must maintain stringent oversight of third-party recipients of consumers’ sensitive personal information, and are enjoined from disclosing a consumer’s sensitive personal information other than when specified conditions, including having obtained that consumer’s express, informed consent, are met.
Continue Reading FTC Cracks Down on Lead Generation Company’s Indiscriminate Sharing of Consumers’ Sensitive Data
FTC Cracks Down on Lead Generation Company’s Indiscriminate Sharing of Consumers’ Sensitive Data
As connected devices become ubiquitous, it comes as no surprise that interactive toys that connect to the internet are more popular than ever. At the same time, regulators have taken note of the privacy and security concerns raised by lawmakers and privacy advocates about the proliferation of smart toys that collect personal information from kids. Recent guidance issued by both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggests that the agencies may be taking a closer look at the rapidly expanding connected toy market, a small part of the largely unregulated “Internet of Things.”
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has handed down sweeping new privacy and security rules for Internet service providers (ISPs). On Thursday, October 27, 2016, a sharply divided commission voted to enact these new
On June 22, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it has settled charges that InMobi, a Singapore-based mobile advertising company, deceptively tracked the locations of hundreds of millions of consumers, including children, to
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